First time having Ethiopian food and I enjoyed it. The rubbery 'bread' is interesting, but goes well with the different 'curries.' I got the meat combo platter and it came with your choice of 4 veggies. The dish comes with the bread under the curries as well as a 'clean' one the side for each person. This was definitely more than enough for two of us and it did not break the bank.
Start collecting reviews today
Claim your business to immediately update business information, respond to reviews, and more!
Staffs are not friendly at all. Placed two orders of Doro Wot, served one and didn't gave us any time to ask any question about the second one, she just ran away from our table though the restaurant was not busy. I had to wait another 15 minutes to earn their attention. Overall the vibe is not good at all.
Food was so ordinary. It didn't have any taste comparing to the other Ethiopian restaurant in DC area. Not recommending this restaurant to anyone.
Their Lamb Vindaloo is spicy and good. They also were nice enough to politely deal with the super drunk dude in our party. Please don't take obnoxious drunk people here though. The staff don't deserve that. Great patio space
Just amazing. The food was unbelievable, the staff were courteous, and the prices were great. This place fills up fast, make sure to show up early. Pro tip - that bread fills you up fast, don't go nuts.
A must try. Get a big group going and try everything. One of the best Ethiopian food spots out there. I highly recommend the split peas, derek tips with lamb. Their staff is helpful. The wait was around thirty minutes but it was totally worth it for the food we got.
This is my favorite Ethiopian restaurant in the city. Sometimes a line forms outside but that's just because they don't take names or reservations. Typical wait in line is about 30min.
Authentic and delicious Ethiopian food! My hubby and I had a feast with the 10 course vegetarian combo of yellow split peas, spicy lentils, collard greens, beets, cabbage and potatoes, tomato salad, spinach, shiro, and 2 types of Ferfer. The combo is served with housemade injera on the side.
The combo platter is perfect for sharing and fun way to sample the menu. The Ferfer injera infused with scallions and spices was bursting with flavor and hands-down my favorite dish! The chickpea stew Shiro, yellow lentils, and spinach were among my top picks while my hubby devoured the spicy lentils and cabbage and potatoes. All of the sides were good and fun to try! We were stuffed and had to throw in the towel. Next time, I will save more room and just order a handful of our favorite sides.
The fenced patio seating is dog-friendly and perfect for people-watching. As we enjoyed our meal outside, people quizzically asked us about our dog without loitering around as the fence provided a nice barrier. The staff was nice and thoughtful and made a styrofoam bowl for the dog from a carry out container. Highly recommend!
I haven t seen a disrespectful staff in a place as bad as I have seen in Zenebech Resturant. When we arrived we received no greetings or even a smile and the way the lady waiter was talking was as if we were there to ask for free food. The smell of the Resturant was like farm. I will never be back again and advise everyone to find another proper Ethiopian respectful Resturant in town.
Zenebech Restaurant is one of the best Ethiopian restaurants in the city. Before they moved into their current spot in Adams Morgan, they were known as the injera bakery in D.C. Now they are a full-fledged restaurant as well. Here's why we're fans:
1) Food: It is superb with really good injera. They have a variety of veggie and meat dishes including classics like awaze tibs and dulet. Each dish is enough for two meals as the injera is plentiful.
2) Price: For large portions, it's a good deal. The average main dish price is between $12-$16.
3) Service: The staff are very friendly and spread joy.
I went about two weeks ago and there was a rat walking around the restaurant. The staff was very nonchalant about it and made no attempt to catch it or pretend it was a unique situation. Disgusting!
I got a takeout. It was GREAT. Just finished eating my dinner. I visited that restaurant approximately 19 years ago at the old the old location I didn't even know that They had relocated. The young lady was VERY courteous. I will visit again whenever I can. *****
Food was good, there were some dishes I d never had before at an Ethiopian restaurant such as the marinated beets, the braised spinach and the green beans. We were a party of 5 and they suggested the vegetarian combo for 10 which we though was strange. Sure enough we had way too much food. Since we were traveling we couldn t take it home and the waitress seemed to be disappointed in us for not finishing. I ve eaten a lot of Ethiopian food and this one was pretty average. Nothing amazing but nothing bad either. Some dishes were a bit under salted, the lentil Sambusas and hot sauce were delicious as was the Ethiopian tea.
First time eating Ethiopian food. Staff was helpful and patient. Tibs were delicious! Would recommend to a friend. Great spot for a 3rd date cause you eat with your hands.
First ate here years ago back when it was at its Shaw location and I knew I had to try it again when they reopened in Adams Morgan. This place definitely earns its reputation as being one of the best Ethiopian places in DC. The lamb is delicious and everything is well seasoned with all kinds of great spices. Highly recommend!
A very pleasant experience dining here. If you are a beef tartare lover you would enjoy Kitfo and Gored gored although today I was advised not to order it raw as I usually prefer. Medium rare was tasty too. On the vegetarian section creamy spinach and creamy peas were A+ tonight, I usually love Fassolia and enjoyed it today, the home cottage cheese was well made and the beat side added some sweetness to the overall taste palette. Here you can get a 100% teff injera which I tried for the first time and I am going to order it from now on. It is darker, the taste is more sour and that brings more intensity to the food you are wrapping on the way to your mouth. My only critical comment would be that the sambusas are a bit dry in their filling.
I went with some friends, and we realize they have six different Ethiopian beer on the menu, so we decide to create our flight and share all the beers. We also share two Beef Sambusa, and share a Mehaberawi plate, the food was good but not outstanding.
Ordered a gluten free meal (because of a serious allergy) and halfway through eating my meal, was informed that part of it was, in fact, pure wheat. And, to add insult to injury, my bill wasn t adjusted at all. Used to love this place, but after getting incredibly sick and paying to do so, will never eat here again.
Best sampling platter in DC of all Ethiopian places IMO (mehabarawi), the red stuff in the salt shakers adds heat if you need, this is one order if you double the order for more people they stack up the piles and bring it out on a bigger platter (maybe if you order *3?), anyways these guys have been around for a while and are great, this restaurant used to be in Shaw
It was our first time having Ethiopian food, and we were excited, but unfortunately service was, slow, incredibly inattentive, and not helpful in picking out a dish. What we did order was pretty good, but it wasn't quite what we were trying to order. This could've been a much better experience if we had had a more helpful server.
Decent selection of Ethiopian cuisine, but the food was mediocre and the service was very, very slow. There are other Ethiopian restaurants with better food and service. Try a different one.
2 WAITERS..for a busy restaurant like this is unacceptable. The waiter was not personable, nobody cared to apologize for the long wait, the place lacked character and definitely DOES NOT represent the warmness of Ethiopian people. Horrible. I should have gone to Dukem but Ababa is within walking distance so Zenebech can kiss my grits.
The food here was great. BUT... the service, although friendly, was sloooowww. And it was shocking that, for our party of five, we received 2 - yes, that's right, only TWO - injera, aside from what was spread as a base on the platter. Extra cost extra, and we were even willing to pay it, but first no one came to our table to check on us, and when we did finally grab a waitress to order extra injera... they never came. Also, the amount of food was about half the amount we've received at other Ethiopian restaurants. We had the spiced tea as well, and it was very good.
We love this place! Family run restaurant with great food and friendly atmosphere. Our favorite Ethiopian in DC. Everything on the menu is delicious, but the Derek Tibs are our favorite. Kaye Wot is also amazing. The veggie sides are all great. Tomato and onion salad and yellow split peas top the list.
There are many Ethiopian restaurants to choose from down this 18th street strip in Adams Morgan - Zenebach is a must-try! Comfortable, low-key decor and seating that can accommodate for groups of 4 or more. We always share the vegetarian platter - filling and delicious. We have tried the spaghetti and platter combo and there was plenty of food for 2. They have happy hour specials of beer and wine as well. The service is friendly, but can be a bit slow because of how busy the place is (1 or 2 servers at most). Since Keren is now so busy and the waits can be excruciating, Zenebach is our go-to Ethiopian place in Adams Morgan!
Loved it! Much better spicing on just about everything. Whallops my home city and bests Portland Oregon. From the lentil sambusa, to lentil veg, tibs braised short ribs, and even the tea!
This is one of my most favorite Ethiopian restaurants in the world. I was so sad when they closed a couple of years ago when their original building was bought out by a developer, but thrilled when they reopened ... only to close again at the beginning of 2018 due to a fire over Christmas break. I am excited and waiting for when they will open again!
Zenebech Ethiopian is the very best Ethiopian food that I ave had. The venue is nit especially exotic, but its comfortable. The menu can be overwhelming, so just tell the server what you like to eat and they will take care of you. Everything that we had was fabulous. I recommend that you get the large platter of Injera (a sourdough-esque flatbread with a spongy texture) and they place clumps of the food on it. You wat with the bread, not a fork..
Outstanding Ethiopian food in new Adams Morgan location. Highlights are the goren tibs, goat curry, and doro wat. The veggies are outstanding particularly the mesir wat. Injera tasted fresh, too. Definitely as good as the original location!
Food was outstanding, authentic cuisine, service a tad bit slow but it was also Fri. night of holiday weekend. Great photos on the walls, vibe was Americanized, but cuisine was incredible & reasonble cost.
Supporter of Zenebech since moving to Maryland in '02. Since Howard theartre day days. Took time to drive from Silver Spring to support only to wait and wait and placed on hold with nothing to show. I see the faces in the dining room. I don't need those stares. I know I eat with my hands. I'll support Adaresh and other in SS. I'll just pay for parking and humbly drive back to where I am with welcomed with a Salem. Veggie combination No tomatoes was my order for years.
Soooo good! Go with friends and try it all! They were out of several beers that I would have liked to order but their food and atmosphere most certainly makes up for that!